1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to storage systems.
2. Related Art
Various forms of storage systems are used today. These forms include network attached storage (NAS) systems, storage area networks (SANs), and others. Network storage systems are commonly used for a variety of purposes, such as providing multiple users with access to shared data, backing up data (e.g., by data mirroring) and others.
A network storage system typically includes at least one computing system (may also be referred to as a “server”), which is a processing system configured to store and retrieve data on behalf of one or more client processing systems (“clients”). In the context of NAS, a storage server operates on behalf of one or more clients to store and manage shared files in a set of mass storage devices, such as magnetic or optical disks or tapes.
In a SAN context, the storage server provides clients with block-level access to stored data. Some storage systems may be capable of providing clients with both file-level access and block-level access.
Computing systems typically use LUNs (logical unit numbers) to access storage devices. The LUNs are typically created in response to a request from a computing system system. Typically, a storage system managing storage space creates the LUN and assigns it to the computing system. Before the computing system can use the LUN, it has to be discovered via a discovery process.
The discovery process for accessing the LUN is often defined by a standard or protocol, for example, Fibre Channel and other storage and network protocols. Typically, during discovery, a client computing system sends out a discovery packet/request seeking access to LUNs. The storage system or a management application responds to the request and presents the LUN to the computing system. Therefore, the discovery process may consume processor resources and computing time. Continuous efforts are being made to efficiently assign LUNs and improve the overall discovery process.